Don't
by Amanda N. Lupin
Summary: "Don't fall for me Obi Wan it can't get you anywhere." In the wake of Anikan's betrayal and destruction, can two broken hearts find comfort, and even love in each other?


"Padme." Far away it seemed, a voice was calling for her. "Padme!" But she felt only pain. Her crushed throat ached, her contractions were becoming closer and closer, more and more painful, and her heart... Stars, her heart felt as though it had been ripped into a million tiny pieces. Anakin had turned to the dark side, betrayed and killed his friends, mentors, was responsible for the death of all the jedi, all the younglings in the temple. Had tried to kill her, their unborn youngling. A mechanized voice instructed it was time to push. She obeyed, eyes clenched shut in pain, she didn't wish to see the world now anyway, not that it was no longer the one she knew, had once loved. Oh Anakin, what have you done? What ugly, hateful new world have you made for our child? The voice was back once more, softer this time. "Padme."

Suddenly she felt a warm hand on her shoulder, warmth and a feeling of electricity imminated from it. They were attempting to heal her, she realized softly, pushing hard once more. "Padme, please," it begged, voice thick with emotion, nearly choking on the words. _Obi Wan_. With supreme effort, she forced her eyes to open to meet the screaming cries of her child. The moments old baby quieted as the medical droid placed him in Obi Wan's arms, announcing to the pair that it was a boy.

"Luke," she whispered softly, a weak hand stretching to caress his crown. Obi Wan smiled, bringing the boy nearer beside her. Suddenly the droid announced there was another child, to push once more. Obi Wan placed the infant boy in a hovering basinet, before quickly returning to her side. Padme felt his hand on her shoulder again, could feel his warmth willing her to relax, his power moving within, helping her to push. This was what the force should feel like: not impatient, or cruel, not jealous, or arrogant... Only love. Purest love. Even as she stared into those deep silver-blue eyes, her anchors in this hailstorm of emotion and heartbreak, she felt pain and countless regrets filling her before he pushed them away with his force, with his love, (wasn't that forbidden for jedi?), as simply as if he were brushing away an errant strand of hair.

For a moment, her second child's cries were so brief she feared it had died, but Obi Wan quickly brought the tiny girl to her mother, his force soothing the babe as he had done for her. "Leia," she smiled, voice nearly hoarse. She wept. Wept tears enough to flood all of her home-world. Silent tears pouring from her eyes, which suddenly felt far too heavy. Seeing her decline Obi Wan placed the infant girl beside her brother, rushing back to their mother's side. The medical droid, having performed it's function, and cleaned the mess, had left them.

"Padme," he whispered, dropping to his knees at her bedside, and clasping her hand desperately. "Padme, don't let go. Don't leave now, your babies need you." I need you, he thought frantically. There was no time to think what this meant, but as soon as he had thought it, he knew it was true. There was no time to think of the implications of such a thought, of what such ideas meant to the know shattered jedi code. "Please Padme, be the strong, stubborn woman and friend I know you to be."

A single tear trickled down her cheek as she closed her eyes, his pleas echoing in the silent room, his force thrumming through her.

"Done everything possible, you have. Healed of her wounds she is, nothing more to do for her there is. Decide to live or to die the senator herself must do. Rest you must, spent yourself you have, young one," Yoda urged, pulling on the young man's tunic.

Obi Wan nodded, but did not feel it, even hearing the truth of the master's words, he was reluctant to part from her. He felt numb, could not bear the thought of first Anakin, and now the prospect of losing her. Would there be no one left? Was he cursed to lose all those he loved?


End file.
